diff --git a/Destination.cpp b/Destination.cpp
index 5e1dd2c8..148d9429 100644
--- a/Destination.cpp
+++ b/Destination.cpp
@@ -190,18 +190,17 @@ namespace client
 
 	void ClientDestination::HandleI2NPMessage (const uint8_t * buf, size_t len, i2p::tunnel::InboundTunnel * from)
 	{
-		//TODO: since we are accessing a uint8_t this is unlikely to crash due to alignment but should be improved
-		I2NPHeader * header = (I2NPHeader *)buf;
-		switch (header->typeID)
+		uint8_t typeID = buf[I2NP_HEADER_TYPEID_OFFSET];
+		switch (typeID)
 		{	
 			case eI2NPData:
-				HandleDataMessage (buf + sizeof (I2NPHeader), be16toh (header->size));
+				HandleDataMessage (buf + I2NP_HEADER_SIZE, bufbe16toh (buf + I2NP_HEADER_SIZE_OFFSET));
 			break;
 			case eI2NPDatabaseStore:
-				HandleDatabaseStoreMessage (buf + sizeof (I2NPHeader), be16toh (header->size));
+				HandleDatabaseStoreMessage (buf + I2NP_HEADER_SIZE, bufbe16toh (buf + I2NP_HEADER_SIZE_OFFSET));
 			break;
 			case eI2NPDatabaseSearchReply:
-				HandleDatabaseSearchReplyMessage (buf + sizeof (I2NPHeader), be16toh (header->size));
+				HandleDatabaseSearchReplyMessage (buf + I2NP_HEADER_SIZE, bufbe16toh (buf + I2NP_HEADER_SIZE_OFFSET));
 			break;	
 			default:
 				i2p::HandleI2NPMessage (CreateI2NPMessage (buf, GetI2NPMessageLength (buf), from));
diff --git a/I2NPProtocol.cpp b/I2NPProtocol.cpp
index 3ad54ff5..423ee047 100644
--- a/I2NPProtocol.cpp
+++ b/I2NPProtocol.cpp
@@ -545,19 +545,18 @@ namespace i2p
 
 	size_t GetI2NPMessageLength (const uint8_t * msg)
 	{
-		I2NPHeader * header = (I2NPHeader *)msg;
-		return be16toh (header->size) + sizeof (I2NPHeader);
+		return bufbe16toh (msg + I2NP_HEADER_SIZE_OFFSET) + I2NP_HEADER_SIZE;
 	}	
 	
 	void HandleI2NPMessage (uint8_t * msg, size_t len)
 	{
-		I2NPHeader * header = (I2NPHeader *)msg;
-		uint32_t msgID = be32toh (header->msgID);	
-		LogPrint ("I2NP msg received len=", len,", type=", (int)header->typeID, ", msgID=", (unsigned int)msgID);
+		uint8_t typeID = msg[I2NP_HEADER_TYPEID_OFFSET];
+		uint32_t msgID = bufbe32toh (msg + I2NP_HEADER_MSGID_OFFSET);	
+		LogPrint ("I2NP msg received len=", len,", type=", (int)typeID, ", msgID=", (unsigned int)msgID);
 
-		uint8_t * buf = msg + sizeof (I2NPHeader);
-		int size = be16toh (header->size);
-		switch (header->typeID)
+		uint8_t * buf = msg + I2NP_HEADER_SIZE;
+		int size = bufbe16toh (msg + I2NP_HEADER_SIZE_OFFSET);
+		switch (typeID)
 		{	
 			case eI2NPVariableTunnelBuild:
 				LogPrint ("VariableTunnelBuild");
@@ -576,7 +575,7 @@ namespace i2p
 				// TODO:
 			break;	
 			default:
-				LogPrint ("Unexpected message ", (int)header->typeID);
+				LogPrint ("Unexpected message ", (int)typeID);
 		}	
 	}
 
diff --git a/I2NPProtocol.h b/I2NPProtocol.h
index 348632aa..1f93b0a1 100644
--- a/I2NPProtocol.h
+++ b/I2NPProtocol.h
@@ -19,6 +19,11 @@ namespace i2p
 	const size_t I2NP_HEADER_SIZE_OFFSET = I2NP_HEADER_EXPIRATION_OFFSET + 8;
 	const size_t I2NP_HEADER_CHKS_OFFSET = I2NP_HEADER_SIZE_OFFSET + 2;
 	const size_t I2NP_HEADER_SIZE = I2NP_HEADER_CHKS_OFFSET + 1;
+
+	// I2NP short header
+	const size_t I2NP_SHORT_HEADER_TYPEID_OFFSET = 0;
+	const size_t I2NP_SHORT_HEADER_EXPIRATION_OFFSET = I2NP_SHORT_HEADER_TYPEID_OFFSET + 1;
+	const size_t I2NP_SHORT_HEADER_SIZE = I2NP_SHORT_HEADER_EXPIRATION_OFFSET + 4;
 	
 	// Tunnel Gateway header
 	const size_t TUNNEL_GATEWAY_HEADER_TUNNELID_OFFSET = 0;
@@ -27,21 +32,6 @@ namespace i2p
 	
 #pragma pack (1)
 
-	struct I2NPHeader
-	{
-		uint8_t typeID;
-		uint32_t msgID;
-		uint64_t expiration;
-		uint16_t size;
-		uint8_t chks;
-	};	
-
-	struct I2NPHeaderShort
-	{
-		uint8_t typeID;
-		uint3HTTP/1.1 200 OK
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336f
diff --git a/Destination.cpp b/Destination.cpp
index 5e1dd2c8..148d9429 100644
--- a/Destination.cpp
+++ b/Destination.cpp
@@ -190,18 +190,17 @@ namespace client
 
 	void ClientDestination::HandleI2NPMessage (const uint8_t * buf, size_t len, i2p::tunnel::InboundTunnel * from)
 	{
-		//TODO: since we are accessing a uint8_t this is unlikely to crash due to alignment but should be improved
-		I2NPHeader * header = (I2NPHeader *)buf;
-		switch (header->typeID)
+		uint8_t typeID = buf[I2NP_HEADER_TYPEID_OFFSET];
+		switch (typeID)
 		{	
 			case eI2NPData:
-				HandleDataMessage (buf + sizeof (I2NPHeader), be16toh (header->size));
+				HandleDataMessage (buf + I2NP_HEADER_SIZE, bufbe16toh (buf + I2NP_HEADER_SIZE_OFFSET));
 			break;
 			case eI2NPDatabaseStore:
-				HandleDatabaseStoreMessage (buf + sizeof (I2NPHeader), be16toh (header->size));
+				HandleDatabaseStoreMessage (buf + I2NP_HEADER_SIZE, bufbe16toh (buf + I2NP_HEADER_SIZE_OFFSET));
 			break;
 			case eI2NPDatabaseSearchReply:
-				HandleDatabaseSearchReplyMessage (buf + sizeof (I2NPHeader), be16toh (header->size));
+				HandleDatabaseSearchReplyMessage (buf + I2NP_HEADER_SIZE, bufbe16toh (buf + I2NP_HEADER_SIZE_OFFSET));
 			break;	
 			default:
 				i2p::HandleI2NPMessage (CreateI2NPMessage (buf, GetI2NPMessageLength (buf), from));
diff --git a/I2NPProtocol.cpp b/I2NPProtocol.cpp
index 3ad54ff5..423ee047 100644
--- a/I2NPProtocol.cpp
+++ b/I2NPProtocol.cpp
@@ -545,19 +545,18 @@ namespace i2p
 
 	size_t GetI2NPMessageLength (const uint8_t * msg)
 	{
-		I2NPHeader * header = (I2NPHeader *)msg;
-		return be16toh (header->size) + sizeof (I2NPHeader);
+		return bufbe16toh (msg + I2NP_HEADER_SIZE_OFFSET) + I2NP_HEADER_SIZE;
 	}	
 	
 	void HandleI2NPMessage (uint8_t * msg, size_t len)
 	{
-		I2NPHeader * header = (I2NPHeader *)msg;
-		uint32_t msgID = be32toh (header->msgID);	
-		LogPrint ("I2NP msg received len=", len,", type=", (int)header->typeID, ", msgID=", (unsigned int)msgID);
+		uint8_t typeID = msg[I2NP_HEADER_TYPEID_OFFSET];
+		uint32_t msgID = bufbe32toh (msg + I2NP_HEADER_MSGID_OFFSET);	
+		LogPrint ("I2NP msg received len=", len,", type=", (int)typeID, ", msgID=", (unsigned int)msgID);
 
-		uint8_t * buf = msg + sizeof (I2NPHeader);
-		int size = be16toh (header->size);
-		switch (header->typeID)
+		uint8_t * buf = msg + I2NP_HEADER_SIZE;
+		int size = bufbe16toh (msg + I2NP_HEADER_SIZE_OFFSET);
+		switch (typeID)
 		{	
 			case eI2NPVariableTunnelBuild:
 				LogPrint ("VariableTunnelBuild");
@@ -576,7 +575,7 @@ namespace i2p
 				// TODO:
 			break;	
 			default:
-				LogPrint ("Unexpected message ", (int)header->typeID);
+				LogPrint ("Unexpected message ", (int)typeID);
 		}	
 	}
 
diff --git a/I2NPProtocol.h b/I2NPProtocol.h
index 348632aa..1f93b0a1 100644
--- a/I2NPProtocol.h
+++ b/I2NPProtocol.h
@@ -19,6 +19,11 @@ namespace i2p
 	const size_t I2NP_HEADER_SIZE_OFFSET = I2NP_HEADER_EXPIRATION_OFFSET + 8;
 	const size_t I2NP_HEADER_CHKS_OFFSET = I2NP_HEADER_SIZE_OFFSET + 2;
 	const size_t I2NP_HEADER_SIZE = I2NP_HEADER_CHKS_OFFSET + 1;
+
+	// I2NP short header
+	const size_t I2NP_SHORT_HEADER_TYPEID_OFFSET = 0;
+	const size_t I2NP_SHORT_HEADER_EXPIRATION_OFFSET = I2NP_SHORT_HEADER_TYPEID_OFFSET + 1;
+	const size_t I2NP_SHORT_HEADER_SIZE = I2NP_SHORT_HEADER_EXPIRATION_OFFSET + 4;
 	
 	// Tunnel Gateway header
 	const size_t TUNNEL_GATEWAY_HEADER_TUNNELID_OFFSET = 0;
@@ -27,21 +32,6 @@ namespace i2p
 	
 #pragma pack (1)
 
-	struct I2NPHeader
-	{
-		uint8_t typeID;
-		uint32_t msgID;
-		uint64_t expiration;
-		uint16_t size;
-		uint8_t chks;
-	};	
-
-	struct I2NPHeaderShort
-	{
-		uint8_t typeID;
-		uint3
0